Sunday, March 4, 2007

"There´s the television. It´s all right there – all right there. Look, listen, kneel, pray. Commercials! We´re not productive anymore. We don´t make things anymore. It´s all automated. What are we *for* then?"

Brad Pitt mutters these words as the insane Jeffrey Goines. They may seem like crazed ramblings of a man deeply disturbed, but considering modern times, they seem almost prophetic. Television has become the new alter for many of today´s citizens. Instead of going to the park for entertainment or simply going for a walk, we turn on the picture tube. Sadly, today´s families have become more intimate with the character´s on "Grey´s Anatomy" than with their own family members. Our society, especially those of us in America, are becoming fatter and lazier. Much of this is due to the holy television. Expanding on lazy, as Goines´ words state, we don´t make things anymore. It´s all automated. Yes it is. Assembly lines have replaced countless workers and for those products that are cheaper to be made with human hands, work is sent overseas or south of the border, where cheaper labor and sweatshops have replaced the American worker. As the future approaches and gets closer which each and every passing day, what are we *for* then?

Stepping off my short soapbox and looking more at the film which allowed Goines the ability to speak said words, "12 Monkeys" is a film that explores many political and social issues. Mental illness, the concepts of "Big Brother" and the deadly nature of out of control technological advances are topics covered by Terry Gilliam´s incredibly poignant film "12 Monkeys." Gilliam´s film provides a dark and gloomy image of our future. The world has been wiped clean of a super killer virus and the scant one percent that has survived is forced to live underground. James Cole (Bruce Willis) is a convict and is forced into traveling forty years back in time to 1996 and discover the origins and more information on the epidemic. He is told it was started by a cult called the "Army of the 12 Monkeys." Time travel is not a precise technology and Coles is sent back in time six years earlier than planned. Cole ends up in 1990 and when he begins to speak of time travel and the impending Armageddon, he is locked up in a mental institute.

He is treated by the lovely Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and meets up with Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), who coincidentally is the son of a scientist who specializes in viruses. Cole spends six years in the institute and finds romantic feelings for Dr. Railly. Faced with the deadline of the virus being launched into the wild and the beginning of the Armageddon, Cole kidnaps Railly and escapes from the mental institute. He tracks down the Army of the 12 Monkeys and learns that Goines is part of the self proclaimed revolutionaries and has decided to release a deadly virus created by his father. Cole is not fully successful in the mission he is sent back in time to complete and refuses to return to the future. With the police looking to detain him for the kidnapping of Dr. Railly and those from the future wanting Cole to return, he finds himself in a bad situation, though the impending plague that will wipe out nearly all of civilization gives him pause as to what actions to take.

"12 Monkeys" is a marvelous science fiction film that rivals Gilliam´s own "Brazil" in providing a bleak look at the future and intertwining his frightening visions with stark political and technological statements. There is a lot of plot involved with "12 Monkeys" and many will need repeated viewings to completely get a handle on everything that is going on. Others may never completely understand the complicated layers surrounding the going-ons in "12 Monkeys." "Brazil" was a deeper and more complicated film, whereas "12 Monkeys" speaks more to a mass audience, especially considering a starring duo that was quite popular at the time the film was released. Bruce Willis is cast in a role that suits his demeanor and resume nicely and Brad Pitt shows off the reasons why he has continued to be regarded as a great young actor. Under Gilliam´s direction and Willis´ and Pitt´s performances, "12 Monkeys" is a powerfully done character-driven science fiction tale that discusses how technology can be deadly, how civil and personal liberties may be tightly constrained in the future and misconceptions towards mental illness. I could return to my soapbox and discuss many of the issues covered in the film, but that is slightly beyond the scope of a DVD review. Instead of digging deep into the issues, lets just say that Gilliam perfectly mixes sci-fi with his own opinions on technology and social issues and succeeds in creating brilliant entertainment. For hardcore Gilliam fans, this is the sequel to "Brazil" that we´ve desperately wanted.

"There´s the television. It´s all right there – all right there. Look, listen, kneel, pray. Commercials! We´re not productive anymore. We don´t make things anymore. It´s all automated. What are we *for* then?"

Brad Pitt mutters these words as the insane Jeffrey Goines. They may seem like crazed ramblings of a man deeply disturbed, but considering modern times, they seem almost prophetic. Television has become the new alter for many of today´s citizens. Instead of going to the park for entertainment or simply going for a walk, we turn on the picture tube. Sadly, today´s families have become more intimate with the character´s on "Grey´s Anatomy" than with their own family members. Our society, especially those of us in America, are becoming fatter and lazier. Much of this is due to the holy television. Expanding on lazy, as Goines´ words state, we don´t make things anymore. It´s all automated. Yes it is. Assembly lines have replaced countless workers and for those products that are cheaper to be made with human hands, work is sent overseas or south of the border, where cheaper labor and sweatshops have replaced the American worker. As the future approaches and gets closer which each and every passing day, what are we *for* then?

Stepping off my short soapbox and looking more at the film which allowed Goines the ability to speak said words, "12 Monkeys" is a film that explores many political and social issues. Mental illness, the concepts of "Big Brother" and the deadly nature of out of control technological advances are topics covered by Terry Gilliam´s incredibly poignant film "12 Monkeys." Gilliam´s film provides a dark and gloomy image of our future. The world has been wiped clean of a super killer virus and the scant one percent that has survived is forced to live underground. James Cole (Bruce Willis) is a convict and is forced into traveling forty years back in time to 1996 and discover the origins and more information on the epidemic. He is told it was started by a cult called the "Army of the 12 Monkeys." Time travel is not a precise technology and Coles is sent back in time six years earlier than planned. Cole ends up in 1990 and when he begins to speak of time travel and the impending Armageddon, he is locked up in a mental institute.

He is treated by the lovely Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and meets up with Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), who coincidentally is the son of a scientist who specializes in viruses. Cole spends six years in the institute and finds romantic feelings for Dr. Railly. Faced with the deadline of the virus being launched into the wild and the beginning of the Armageddon, Cole kidnaps Railly and escapes from the mental institute. He tracks down the Army of the 12 Monkeys and learns that Goines is part of the self proclaimed revolutionaries and has decided to release a deadly virus created by his father. Cole is not fully successful in the mission he is sent back in time to complete and refuses to return to the future. With the police looking to detain him for the kidnapping of Dr. Railly and those from the future wanting Cole to return, he finds himself in a bad situation, though the impending plague that will wipe out nearly all of civilization gives him pause as to what actions to take.

"12 Monkeys" is a marvelous science fiction film that rivals Gilliam´s own "Brazil" in providing a bleak look at the future and intertwining his frightening visions with stark political and technological statements. There is a lot of plot involved with "12 Monkeys" and many will need repeated viewings to completely get a handle on everything that is going on. Others may never completely understand the complicated layers surrounding the going-ons in "12 Monkeys." "Brazil" was a deeper and more complicated film, whereas "12 Monkeys" speaks more to a mass audience, especially considering a starring duo that was quite popular at the time the film was released. Bruce Willis is cast in a role that suits his demeanor and resume nicely and Brad Pitt shows off the reasons why he has continued to be regarded as a great young actor. Under Gilliam´s direction and Willis´ and Pitt´s performances, "12 Monkeys" is a powerfully done character-driven science fiction tale that discusses how technology can be deadly, how civil and personal liberties may be tightly constrained in the future and misconceptions towards mental illness. I could return to my soapbox and discuss many of the issues covered in the film, but that is slightly beyond the scope of a DVD review. Instead of digging deep into the issues, lets just say that Gilliam perfectly mixes sci-fi with his own opinions on technology and social issues and succeeds in creating brilliant entertainment. For hardcore Gilliam fans, this is the sequel to "Brazil" that we´ve desperately wanted.

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